Guardian Angel
by Lifeguard
Summary: A thick black cloud of smoke billowed over the Jeffersonian and Booth feared the worst. Everyone stared as he walked out of the building, his partner lying limp in his strong arms.
1. Chapter 1

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Title: Guardian Angel

**Author: **Lifeguard

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! I am just borrowing the cast of Bones, I promise to return them when I am done, though you may have to pry Booth away from me.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Spoilers: **None

**Summary: **A bomb leaves the Jeffersonian in ruins and Brennan clinging to life.

**Author's Note: **This story is not set in any particular season. Zack is still around at the lab and Sweets exists too. I was listening to "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown a lot while writing, so you may want to give it a listen too, it kind of sets a tone for the story. Also Hodgins and Angela are still together. Again, I had a dream in which this idea came to me. I had to write it down and this is the result.

Enjoy!

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The mountain of paper work loomed in front of him and he sighed as he signed his name to another sheet of paper. Booth hated paper work. He had just wrapped up a case with Bones and now came the most boring part of the whole process. He wished they had a new case to investigate, but there was no such luck. He was stuck in his office facing boredom and she was in her lab probably enjoying identifying old soldiers. Glancing at his watch he rolled his eyes when he realized it was only ten in the morning, not even late enough to skip out for lunch. His mind wandered to her and he thought about picking her up at noon and heading off to the diner. The diner led to thoughts about pie and he was soon fantasizing about pie and his partner. Lost deep in daydreams he jumped when a fellow agent came tearing into his office.  
"Booth! Agent Booth! Have you heard?" the younger agent demanded from the door way.  
"Huh?" Booth was brought back to reality, "Heard what?"  
"There was an explosion at the Jeffersonian, a big one! Cullen sent me to get you."  
Booth was brought crashing down to reality, "An explosion?"  
"A bomb or something, the place is a mess."  
Booth was on his feet grabbing his jacket, "Where? Which section?"  
"The lab."  
His heart jumped and he took off at a run. As he sprinted to his car he dialed her number.  
"Pick up Bones, come on, pick up," he willed but her cell phone didn't even ring, he was met with dead air. His panic level rose.  
He drove at top speed, his siren blaring. As he approached his destination he could hear and see other sirens joining his. Then he saw the smoke. A huge black cloud of billowing smoke was rising up into the air above the Jeffersonian. Booth dialed Angela's number. Her voice mail answered and he hung up, trying Cam and then Hodgins, still no answers. He then reached the road block, police cars and tape blocking his way into the parking lot. He skid his car to a halt and jumped out, running to the barricade.  
"Sir, you can't go any-"  
He cut the cop off, shoving his badge in his face, "FBI."  
Before his eyes was chaos. Fire trucks and the bomb squad were spread out in the parking lot, people were running in and out of the building. Paramedics were giving attention to people and ambulances were arriving by the dozens. Booth spun around looking for anyone who was in charge. He spotted a fire chief and the captain of the bomb squad deep in conversation and went over to them.  
"Agent Booth, FBI," he flashed his badge, "I'm looking for the people you've rescued from the building, where are they?"  
The captain gaped at him, "Agent Booth, we've only just begun to get the survivors out, it's bad in there."  
"My guys are only securing the area, putting out the fire and making sure this place doesn't come down. We're working as fast as we can," the chief echoed.  
"Why does the FBI want to know whose out?" asked the captain.  
"Because my partner is in there, Dr. Brennan, she's the liaison with the FBI. Do you know where she is?"  
They both shook their heads.  
"I'm sorry, we're just getting them out as fast as possible right now, but we don't necessarily know who we're pulling out."  
"Where are they taking the survivors?" Booth demanded, panic evident in his voice now.  
"The ambulances are taking them to Washington Memorial as far as we know."  
Booth took off again. As he approached the sea of ambulances he scanned the faces for people he knew. There were soot covered squints being given oxygen but none that he recognized. He looked again at the building and prayed that Bones was alright. He turned around and he saw firefighters helping a woman towards him. His eyes lit up with hope, it was Cam.  
"Cam! Cam!" he called to her.  
She looked up, "Booth," she coughed.  
"Cam, what happened? Are you guys alright?"  
She was dirty and bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes. Her eyes showed fear and sorrow. She looked at the ground, not at him.  
"Cam?"  
"Booth, I don't know what happened. One minute I was in my office, the next the ground was shaking and it was black," she coughed again and her eyes filled with tears, "I honestly don't know where the others are but I hope to God they're alright. It's a war zone in there Booth."  
"Sir, she needs medical attention," the firefighter told him.  
"Listen, I'm going to help. I'll find you later," he touched her shoulder gently, "We'll make it through his Cam."  
She searched his eyes with hers, "I hope you're right Booth."  
Taking a deep breath he walked away from her and towards the doors of the Jeffersonian. He couldn't wait for the rescue teams to find the others, or to find her. So he sprinted up the walk way he knew so well not knowing what he would find.  
As he got closer several firefighters yelled that he couldn't go in there, but he ignored them. He would find her, he wouldn't loose her.  
Booth ran through the battered doors and towards the lab.

As he got closer the smoke and ash thickened the air and he coughed. The hallway was unrecognizable and when he finally made it to the sliding glass doors he gasped. The doors did not exist anymore; they were just shards of glass on the floor leading into what Cam had appropriately described as a war zone, but to Booth it was a nightmare. He froze in the doorway at the sight.  
A gaping hole in the ceiling was all that was left of the skylight roof; the floor glistened with its remains. Desks and equipment were strewn all over but what was most disturbing to him was the mess of metal where the platform should have been. It had completely collapsed in the centre of the lab making Booth fear the worst. He knew that his partner and her team had probably been on the platform when the explosion had occurred and it made him sick to his stomach.  
The thought of his Bones buried beneath the rubble shook him out of his paralysis and back into action. Booth moved towards the centre of the chaos searching for any signs of life. Other rescuers looked up at him with a curious glance but returned to their work, the lives of those at the Jeffersonian out weighed the one unqualified man helping out and they could use all the help they could get. His eyes strained through the murky air for any sign of a blue lab coat or auburn hair.

"Bones! Bones!" he called out desperately as he shoved some rubble out of his way.

A firefighter carrying a woman in his arms caught Booth's eye and he rushed over to them.

Angela lay unconscious in the professional's arms.

"Is she alright?" Booth asked, touching the artist's hand.

"She was in an office near the back. I don't think she took the worst of this. She's probably out from the shock but her vitals are stable," answered the firefighter.

Booth breathed a sigh of relief, "Did you find anyone else?"

"We're still looking. You shouldn't be in here."

"My partner is in here."

The fireman nodded in understanding and continued out the door, "Be careful," he called back.

Booth waded further into the mess yelling out her name louder and louder. He tried to picture the in-tact lab in his mind and tried to figure out where he was. As he moved another piece of debris he caught sight of a blue lab coat and then a hand. He moved as fast as he could towards the person. Whoever it was seemed to be partly sheltered by a desk and as Booth pulled it back he saw who it was.

"Hodgins, are you okay?"

The squint had a gash on his forehead and was cradling his left arm, "Dude," he answered his voice shaking.

"Hodgins?"

"Dude am I glad to see you."

"What happened?"  
He shook his head, dust falling from his curls, "I don't know…I really don't know. One minute we were working the next…Did you find the others? Have you seen Angela or Zack?"

Booth helped him to his feet, "I saw Angela, she's outside already and Cam. Nobody else so far."

"What about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth shook his head solemnly, "I'm looking for her."

He signaled to another rescuer to come get Hodgins, "I've got to keep looking. Go take care of Angela," Booth said as he ushered the squint away.

His worry grew as he realized that time could be running out. Both Bones and Zack were still missing and there was still so much ground to cover. Booth thought harder. He wondered how far she had been working from Hodgins, if Zack was watching over her shoulder.

"Bones!" he yelled again, his voice echoed in the large space.

"Over here!" someone else screamed and Booth watched as Zack was pulled from the rubble.

Her assistant seemed very disoriented and weak but alive. He was loaded onto a stretcher and Booth continued his search. Her friends were alright but where was she? Booth's watch said it had been over twenty minutes since he had gotten to the scene. He became desperate, rushing around, yelling her name and overturning debris.

Light reflected off something steel and he realized he was looking at an examination table. He saw a bone lying next to it and he rushed over. The stainless steel table was being crushed under a large piece of the platform siding that had come down and was surrounded by glass and chunks of the ceiling.

Suddenly he saw it, a strand of auburn hair lying at the top of the table. His breath caught in his throat.

"Bones? Bones!? Is that you? Come on Bones say something!"

He worked fast, removing the smaller chunks and she appeared. Booth dropped to his knees and touched her shoulder. The blood on her face dripped to the floor but she didn't move.

His eyes flew to her body and his heart stopped as he realized that she was pinned from her chest down by the exam table and the piece of platform.

"Bones…"

Booth got up and pushed at the piece of siding, it was heavy, so heavy. He backed up and took a run at it pushing it with all his might. It moved slightly and he tried again. He grabbed it and with all his strength lifted, praying the whole time that he wasn't too late. He heard the metal screech against the floor and then it was off her. He dropped it with a thud and moved the exam table.

"Oh God…" he breathed as he took in the sight of her mangled body.

Her right leg was bent in the most unnatural position and he could see blood seeping out of her lab coat around her abdomen.

Again he dropped down to his knees beside her and stroked her cheek, "Bones, come on Bones, wake up," he urged her.

He checked her pulse and counted. It was faint but it was there, "Wake up Bones, please," he pleaded with her.

Her eyes began to flutter and then she groaned.

"Bones?"

He stroked her cheek again and then he was looking into her blue eyes.

"Oh thank God, Bones? Talk to me, please."

She took a shuddered breath and as she exhaled whispered, "Booth…"

"I'm here, right here."

Her skin was pale and cool to the touch, "You're going to be okay Bones."

"It…it hurts so..."she struggled to take a breath to finish her sentence but began to cough.

Booth frantically looked around him, "I need some help over here!" he screamed.

His eyes returned to her and he shook his head, "No," he muttered.

There was blood dripping from her mouth and her eyes found his with so much pain in them.

"You've got to hang on Bones, please," he said as he took her hand.

She took another ragged breath, he could see it was a struggle, "Booth, I…" she began.

"No. Don't talk, just stay with me, just breathe."

"I…I'm not going to…"

Tears filled his eyes, "Yes you are. You are going to make it!"  
Her small hand then squeezed his, "Booth, listen to me."

"You're not going anywhere."

"I…I…love you," she whispered as her eyes slipped shut.

"No! No! Stay here, stay with me!"

The tears fell freely down his cheeks. He felt again for a pulse, it was still there.

Booth wrapped his arms around her frail body and lifted her up. He cradled her to his chest as he rushed towards the doors.

Outside the emergency workers and victims mingled between the building and the make-shift trauma centers set up at the ambulances. Hodgins was with Angela who was being loaded into a waiting bus to be taken away. She was awake and he was comforting her when she suddenly gasped, her eyes on the walkway from the Jeffersonian.

"Brennan!"

Everyone turned as Booth strode towards them his partner lying limp in his strong arms.

* * *

Hours later the team was gathered in a hospital room. Angela and Zack occupied the two beds while Cam and Hodgins rested in wheel chairs. All were admitted to the facility and being kept over night for observation. In the corner sat Russ and his father, Max and next to him was a slumped over, defeated looking Booth. The mood was gloomy, hardly anyone spoke, they only waited.

Brennan had been taken from emergency straight to surgery and no one had heard a word from the doctors since.

The group cast occasional glances at the FBI agent who was going through is own personal hell. He was still covered in soot and her blood; he refused to lift his head from his hands. They knew he was going through the scenario over and over in his mind. They all knew that she was haunting him. They all knew that he was willing her to live.

The only small consolation the group had was knowing she was still alive, still in surgery and still had a chance to make it through the whole ordeal.

A knock on the door brought everyone to attention.

"Are you all with Dr. Brennan?" asked a female doctor in green scrubs.

They seemed to nod in unison.

"I'm Dr. Monroe," she introduced herself.

"How is she?" Booth spoke for the first time in hours.

Dr. Monroe's face was grim, "I'm sorry, we did everything we could but it's a miracle that Dr. Brennan even made it this far."

Booth's heart pounded in his chest. He knew she couldn't be dead, he was positive that he would feel it if she was.

"She suffered severe injuries; massive internal bleeding and blood loss. We repaired what we could but we couldn't finish, we didn't think her body could handle any more trauma."

Booth felt the room spinning; he could see the tears falling down Max's face.

"Dr. Brennan is in a drug induced coma on life support. It's the only thing we can do for her right now. She needs to rest and when she has regained some strength, when she can breathe on her own we'll operate again. I just don't know when that will be. Right now all we can do is wait. Again, I'm very sorry."

"Wait…she's alive?" Russ blurted.

"She's on life support, but yes, alive."

Booth could barely believe it. He had expected the worst but she was alive.

"Can we see her?" he breathed, still not sure if he was dreaming this scenario.

"Of course."

They followed the doctor down the hallways to the ICU. In her own unit, hooked up to many machines was his Bones. Her face was bruised and he hated the tube stuck down her throat. He watched as the machine breathed for her, the sound was rhythmic, but not soothing.

"Tomorrow we'll bring her out of the coma. We'll slowly take her off the machine and if she breathes on her own she'll be strong enough for surgery," Dr. Monroe explained to them.

"And if she doesn't?" whispered Max.

"We'll wait till the next day. As long as she has brain activity we can wait."

"She's strong, she'll make it," Booth said as he took his partner's hand and sat down.

* * *

_It had all happened so fast. One minute she had been examining remains with Zack and the next it had all gone black. She remembered a delivery man; he said there was a package for her. She told him to leave it on the stairs of the platform, she would get it later. She had turned back to her assistant and was explaining a deformity on the arm when there was a deafening bang. She had been thrown backwards, she had felt the heat and that was it, well until he had found her. _

_The next thing she remembered Booth was hovering above her. He was calling her name and she was struggling to open her eyes. And she remembered the pain, the excruciating, and mind numbing pain. It had radiated throughout her body, everything hurt. She couldn't breathe, she could taste blood, and she knew that this kind of pain only meant one thing: she was dying. _

_There was so much she wanted to tell him but she couldn't even think. So she told him what her mind screamed was the most important thing, that she loved him. She knew she should have told him before, she should never have waited, but now it was too late and it was the only thing that mattered._

_Then she had given into the blackness. She had wanted to stay, she wanted to fight but she knew she was too weak, there was nothing left for her to do, it was too late. _

_She hoped that he would forgive her. She hoped he would move on. _

_She thought that would be the end. _

_She was not a religious person, she didn't believe in the tunnel and the light which was why it surprised her when she woke up here, wherever here was. _

_

* * *

The team had all come to see her, to have their time to sit with her but it was Booth who stayed. He had never seen so much emotion in Zack's eyes or Hodgins cry. When Angela came she stopped crying long enough to beg Brennan to come back, to be strong. Cam had sat with him for some time, just in silence lending her support. Even Sweets had come but he didn't stay long. Booth knew Sweets had read his expression and understood that the unspoken bond between him and his partner went even deeper than Sweets could ever imagine._

Max stayed the longest, he just watched his daughter. Russ would bring them coffee and sit as well and call Amy with updates.

Angela had asked if Brennan said anything when he found her but Booth couldn't bring himself to repeat those words.

The three words haunted him.

Bones didn't believe in love, he knew that. She had time and again argued that it was simply a chemical reaction in the body. Yet time and again she had proven that love existed, even if she hadn't recognized it. He knew she had loved Sully, he knew she loved her father and brother, but him? Booth didn't know she loved him.

He loved her, he knew that, he had known it for sometime.

Why had she said those three words to him? Was it because she knew she was dying and wouldn't have to deal with the repercussions? Or was it a genuine admission of her feelings that she needed to confess to him before her time was up?

But her time wasn't up. She was still here, for now.

When she woke up he would ask her. Maybe she wouldn't remember what she had said. That was if she ever woke up.

He held her hand in his, rubbing circles in her palm, willing her to stay strong, to come back to him.

* * *

_Brennan paced the room, the stereotypical white room with no door, only a white table in the middle. She was also wearing white with no sign of injuries even though she knew it was impossible. She had no idea how long she had been in the room or where she was. She had tried to get out, tried calling for help but there was no response. _

_With a frustrated sigh she sat back down on the table she had woken up on. _

"_Temperance?" _

_She froze. The voice behind her was familiar and warm. It couldn't be. She slowly turned around, her eyes wide. _

"_Mom?" _

"_Oh Temperance," answered Ruth, wiping away a tear. _

_She came over to hug her daughter and Brennan couldn't believe how real it felt. _

"_Mom? How? What are you doing here? Where am I?" _

_Ruth pulled back from the hug and more tears ran down her face. _

"_Where am I?" Brennan asked again and then gasped, "Wait…am I, am I dead?" _

**To Be Continued…**

_**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and placed this story on story alert! Sorry about the formatting, apparently the site doesn't play well with my computer. **__**________________________________________________________________________**_

"_Where am I?" Brennan asked again and then gasped, "Wait…am I, am I dead?" _

_Ruth placed her hand on Brennan's cheek, "No sweetheart, you're not dead." _

"_But if I'm not dead then where am I? Why and how are you here?" _

"_You're not dead but you're not alive, it's going to be hard for you to understand but you're straddling the line between life and death right now Temperance. Technically where you are, whether or not you believe it, is in limbo."_

"_Limbo? Wait, that's impossible. Limbo doesn't exist, much less heaven or hell." _

_Ruth shook her head, "I knew you'd say something like that. That's just the way you are, you don't believe and that's alright, but you're here and I don't think you have any other explanations right now, do you?" _

_Brennan was very confused but she tried anyways, "If I'm not dead then I am probably under the influence of pain killers and maybe even asleep on an operating table. Therefore I may just be hallucinating or dreaming this whole scenario." _

"_You may believe what you'd like but for now you are here and as much as I don't want to see you here, I am grateful to be able to talk to you Temperance." _

_Brennan took her mother's hand, "I'm glad to see you mom but I need to know what is going on. What do you mean you don't want to see me here? Am I not supposed to be here?"_

_Ruth's gaze fell to the ground, "You're not supposed to be here, not in limbo." _

"_Where am I supposed to be? Am I supposed to be alive?" _

_New tears fell down her mother's cheeks and she shook her head._

"_Mom?" _

"_Temperance, you were supposed to die today." _

__________________________________________________________________________

"So tell me again how this works," Max asked Dr. Monroe.

Brennan's father, Booth and her brother were standing in front of her bed nearly twenty four hours after she had been placed on life support.

"Right now we're slowly bringing Dr. Brennan out of the drug induced coma. When that is done we'll take her off of the life support machine. Our hope is that she will breathe on her own. If she does we'll be able to take her back into surgery."

"Will she wake up?" asked Russ.

"Not right now."

"What if she doesn't breathe on her own?" gulped Max.

"We've been monitoring her brain activity closely and it is still strong. If she can't breathe on her own now we can wait another day and re-assess her condition then."

"Dr. Monroe, we're ready," a male nurse said.

Booth watched as another doctor wheeled in a crash cart and readied the paddles. He leaned down close to his partner and whispered in her ear.

"Be strong Bones, you can do this, I know you can."

He kissed her forehead and moved back to let the doctors do their work.

Dr. Monroe checked the machines and listened to Brennan's heart. She then nodded to the nurse standing next to the life support machine. The nurse pushed a button and it began to quiet down.

"Come on Bones, please," Booth chanted to himself.

The heart monitor beeped steadily for a few seconds and everyone held their breath.

Then suddenly the beeping grew from steady to frantic and the doctors pounced into action.

"She's not responding."

"Vitals are dropping."

"Turn it back on," Dr. Monroe ordered as she rhymed off a list of drugs to push into Brennan's body.

Booth backed up from the scene in front of him. His heart was racing and he wiped sweat from his brow. His mind chanted that this wasn't happening, it couldn't be happening. Bones was a fighter, she had to make it. He hit the wall behind him and continued to watch the tragic scene in front of him.

And as quickly as it had began the beeping slowed again as the machines came back on.

"She's stable," said the nurse.

Dr. Monroe turned to Booth, Max and Russ, "I'm sorry. We're going to have to wait, she's just not ready. We'll try again tomorrow."

The doctor gave them a look of remorse and left the room. Booth slid down the wall to the floor and dropped his head into his hands.

________________________________________________________________________

_Brennan sat down on the table her hands shaking and still reeling from what she had just been told. _

"_Temperance?" her mother said her name quietly, coming over to her._

"_I was supposed to die today," she whispered._

_Ruth nodded, "I'm sorry honey." _

_Brennan lifted her head, "But I didn't. You said this is limbo, I'm not dead."_

"_Yes, you're neither dead nor alive." _

"_But I was supposed to die today," she said slowly, "So how did I end up here?" _

_Ruth took her daughter's hand, "Temperance, I'm going to tell you something and whether or not you believe it is your choice, but just listen. Our fate is pre-destined, written for us before we are born. The day we die, how we die is set and there is very little that can change our fate. Sometimes fate is changed by tragedy, such as murder, but the murderer's fate changes that day as well. Everyone is connected by fate whether they know it or not. But your death, it was pre-determined, it should have happened today."_

_Ruth turned and waved her hand towards the wall which began to look like fog clearing._

"_This is what was supposed to happen today," she said._

_What was once a white wall now showed the lab of the Jeffersonian before the explosion.  
Brennan worked with Zack on a skeleton while Hodgins left the platform to examine particulates at his station. _

_A FedEx man appeared at the bottom of the stairs and told Brennan there was a package for her. She told him to leave it on the steps, she'd get it later. A few minutes past and then as the clock struck ten o'clock it happened. _

_Brennan watched herself be propelled backwards by the explosion. She watched in horror as the ceiling exploded and it rained glass and finally she saw the platform collapse. _

_She saw herself pinned underneath the exam table which in turn was crushed by the piece of platform siding. _

_The scene changed and she could see the emergency vehicles and rescue workers coming and then digging through the rubble for survivors. She saw Cam being rescued and then Angela being carried out by a firefighter. Hodgins was next and she wondered where Zack was._

_It was then that she saw Booth running towards the doors of the Jeffersonian. He stopped at Hodgins and asked where she was. Then he took off into the destroyed building, calling her name. As he reached the remains of the double doors leading to her lab two paramedics carried Zack on a stretcher out. Booth paused to make sure her assistant was alright before continuing inside. A scream for help from another rescue worker caught her partner's attention. He ran towards the call for help. _

_She could almost sense that he knew it was her. The look in his eyes as he ran was of complete fear._

_His fears were confirmed when he got to the rescue worker. Before him lay his partner, pinned underneath the exam table and platform siding, unconscious. _

_Several firefighters were attempting to move the piece of siding while a paramedic was checking her vitals. She watched Booth drop down beside her unconscious body and try to wake her up. The firefighters strained under the weight of the metal on top of her and it took four of them to finally lift it off of her mangled body. _

_By the time she was free the paramedics were moving away from her. It was too late. _

_Her heart broke as she watched Booth break down sobbing beside her, gathering her body in his arms. _

_The scene faded and the wall slowly changed back to white. _

"_Booth wasn't supposed to find you, you were never meant to make it," her mother said as she gently laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. _

_Tears were streaming down Brennan's face. The image of Booth sobbing, that heart wrenching look on his face was seared in her mind. She sat staring at the wall for a long time before she finally asked;_

"_How was my fate changed?" _

__________________________________________________________________________

In the last forty eight hours he had only left her side when absolutely necessary. In the last forty eight hours he had barely slept. In the last forty eight hours he had prayed, hoped and wished more than any other time in his life. Despite being told to go home and rest numerous times he had stayed by her side, holding her hand and willing her to find the strength to make it through this storm. In the last forty eight hours Booth had never been more afraid in his entire life.

The time had come to see if Brennan could breathe on her own. Again Booth watched the crash cart be rolled into the room and he braced himself for what might come. He said a silent prayer as the doctors took her off of the machines. He closed his eyes hoping to hear the heart monitor stay steady but instead the same screeching echoed through the room as the previous day.

Dr. Monroe called the trio of men to her.

"I am worried about Dr. Brennan. She needs surgery and without it soon there could be more complications. I am also concerned about her brain activity. We've been monitoring it closely but in the last few hours it has been decreasing."

"She's still got brain activity, that's good right?" Russ asked.

"Yes, but if it continues to decrease then it means her body is giving up. I think we need to discuss her options should that happen."

"But it hasn't happened yet, we don't need to discuss anything," Booth said firmly.

"But it could happen Agent Booth. I am willing to give Dr. Brennan another chance to breathe on her own, but if she doesn't then we need to seriously consider what happens next."

"She is going to make it. She will breathe on her own again," the agent replied, he looked to Max for support.

Max was silent, he stared as his daughter.

"Dad, I think you and I should talk to the doctor," Russ tried gently.

Booth glared at Russ, "You and Max? What about me?"

"We're her family."

"Agent Booth is her appointed person. Legally he has control over what happens to her medically," Dr. Monroe interjected.

Russ' eyebrows shot up, "What?"

Booth nodded, "She asked me awhile ago if I would do that for her. She signed my papers as well."

Max placed a hand on Booth's shoulder, "She couldn't have picked a better person Booth," he turned to the doctor, "What are her options?"

"Like I said before we'll give her one more chance tomorrow. If she breathes on her own we'll operate. If not then we have two options. One, we can bring her out of the induced coma and leave her on life support. She can stay that way as long as you wish, that would give her more time but I can't guarantee that she would ever wake up on her own. Our other option is to wait for her brain activity to completely decrease and then take her off of life support. It would be a final decision and you would have as much time as necessary to make it."

Booth looked horrified, "We're not taking her off of life support. Bones will come around, she's strong, she just needs more time."

Russ gave him a skeptical look, "How much time Booth? I know my sister and therefore I know she wouldn't want to live in a permanent vegetative state. She's a scientist, if science can't do anything more for her then she'd want to go, she wouldn't wait around for a miracle."

"So you'd just give up on her? I think she'd want time to heal and I believe that a miracle could still happen, despite what you may think," Booth shot back.

"Boys!" Max interjected, "Let's not fight in front of her, you know she'd hate that. Why don't we wait till tomorrow, see how she's doing then. We still have time before we make this call, right doctor?"

Dr. Monroe nodded, "Of course."

Booth glared at Russ and went back to his seat beside his partner. He took her hand and silently promised that he'd never give up on her.

________________________________________________________________________

"_Temperance, fate is a difficult thing to change. There is only one true way of changing fate that will not have negative consequences and that is through divine intervention. That is how your fate was changed."_

"_I don't believe in God," she told her mother._

"_Whether or not you believe in God or any higher power does not change what happened to you and your fate."_

"_So you're saying that some higher power decided to change my fate? Why?" _

"_It wasn't a decision on their part, the one who saved you did it out of love for you and I don't believe was even aware they had this power."_

"_Who saved me mom?"_

"_Your guardian angel did Temperance." _

**To be continued…**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for the huge delay in chapters. I am in the middle of my first teaching placement and lesson planning/marking is taking over my time. I was listening to "Broken" by Lifehouse before I wrote this and I think that song really sets the tone for this chapter.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________**_

_Brennan gaped at her mother, "My guardian angel? I have a guardian angel? But that is…" _

"_Impossible," her mother finished for her, "Not entirely Temperance. You are so quick to dismiss these notions of faith, but have you ever stopped to consider it, just for a moment?" _

_She had, with Booth several times, she just wouldn't admit it. _

"_So you're saying I have a guardian angel and whoever it is saved my life today?" _

_Her mother nodded. _

"_Mom, is it you?" _

_Her mother smiled, "I was your guardian angel for awhile Temperance, but then you were assigned someone new, a very special type of angel who I knew would do a better job then I ever could of taking care of you."_

_Brennan raised her eyebrow at her mother, urging her to go on. _

"_Your angel is a very special and unique type, mainly because they are human still and are unaware of their status as a guardian angel. These angels, they are people who have gone through a lot in their lives but have still kept their faith and never given up on themselves. They are led to people who need them the most and when they find the person they are supposed to care for and help, they are drawn to them. A guardian angel and their person have a very deep bond, an unspoken connection which can only be described as their souls speaking to each other. Temperance, you should be honored to have this angel watching over you." _

"_But if my angel is human, how did they save me today? If they don't even know about their power then how could this divine intervention happen?" _

"_Even if they are unaware of their status, they still hold power. Your angel willed you to live today. Your angel used all the power in them to save your life today. It was because the angel thought of you first and not of himself or the danger he put himself in that he was able to save you. It was because your angel would have given his life for yours in a second that he saved you."_

_Brennan's eyes widened, "He?" Realization washed over her, "My guardian angel, he's…he's Booth?" _

"_I think you knew that all along Temperance." _

_Realization dawned on her as she thought back on the times Booth had been there for her even when it had seemed impossible. She had had a moment of clarity when she told him she loved him, there had been no other explanation as to why, nor was one needed. _

"_But why am I here if he saved me?" she suddenly asked. _

"_Booth has power but it only extends so far. He was able to give you a chance to live but not save you entirely, he is only human, as are you. The damage to your body is bad, Booth could only change your fate enough to give you a choice to stay alive, but that choice is yours still to make." _

"_What do you mean it's my choice? I thought you said it was divine intervention? You mean I could choose to go back anytime now? How do I do it? How do I get back to him?" Brennan cried. _

"_Temperance, the time to make your choice hasn't happened yet. When a situation like yours arises it takes time to make a final decision and it is not to be taken lightly. You needed to be here to hear this and then to consider your choices." _

"_But I want to live mom, that's my choice!" _

_Her mother waved her hand towards the white wall again and suddenly Brennan saw herself lying in the hospital bed on life support. She gasped. _

_Ruth put her arm around her daughter, "You nearly died today. Right now you are barely clinging to life; the doctors can only wait right now. You still need to undergo more surgery once you are stronger. Your injuries are extensive and it could take months, even years to fully recover from them. The emotional and physical damage to your body will take its toll on you and there is no guarantee that you will ever lead a normal life again. Temperance, you will go back to your human body and there is no guarantee that it will be able to handle all the trauma." _

_Brennan was visibly shaken by her mother's words. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body, shaking her head. _

"_I don't mean to scare you Temperance, but you must think about your choice. If you choose to go back, that is what awaits you." _

"_What if I choose to stay here?" she whispered. _

"_If you choose to stay here you choose to accept your original fate, you will die." _

"_And what happens then?" _

"_I can't tell you that, but I know you will be taken care of." _

_She stared at herself on the wall._

"_You don't have to make a choice yet, I will wait," her mother said quietly. _

_Brennan nodded slowly and sat down on the table to think. _

__________________________________________________________________________

It was late into the night when Booth snuck back into the ICU. He had been kicked out by the nurse earlier in the evening but had figured out the shifts well enough to know when and how to get back in. He hated leaving her alone in there. Booth walked towards her bed following the steady sounds of the machines keeping her alive.

It didn't matter how many times he had seen her like this, it still made his heart stop and his stomach sick to see her so fragile, so broken.

In the morning the doctors would test her again to see if she could breathe on her own. He could still here the screaming machines as she crashed each time before. They would try again but this time there would be little hope if she failed.

The choices loomed before him: keep her alive to wait for a miracle or let her die as he watched. He didn't know which option he hated more. All he wanted was to turn back time and prevent the whole mess from happening. He knew he would have traded his life for hers in a second if it meant she would live.

He sat down beside her and took her small hand in his.

"Bones," he breathed her name as he rubbed her hand, "I hope where ever you are right now that you aren't in pain. I hope that you're resting well and gathering your strength to get better. I know you've been through a lot, I know it's tough right now, but you need to be tough, tomorrow is going to be another hard day," Booth took a deep breath, "I need you to do something for me Bones, I need you to fight tomorrow. When they turn off those machines I need you to breathe, show them you can do it, I know you can. You probably just needed time before, but tomorrow you need to breathe," he fought past the lump in his throat.

Booth caressed her cheek, "I need you to come back to me Bones, life isn't the same without you, I've got no one to argue with, no one to tell me when I'm wrong or to eat pie with," he tried to smile but the lump in his throat was growing.

He leaned closer to her, "I need you to live," his voice cracked as he continued, "I don't know if I can make a choice about your life if you don't, I don't want to. Temperance, I need you in my life, without you I wouldn't be the same. The thought of losing you kills me, it makes me wonder if I'd ever be happy again, if I'd ever be able to feel the same way I feel when I'm with you again. The truth is I love you too. I've loved you for a long time now and I should have told you before, I just hope it's not too late," the tears were streaming down his face, "I need you to live Bones…"

________________________________________________________________________

_Ruth watched Booth as he cried in the dark. She hoped her daughter would make the right decision, but she couldn't influence her anymore. There was one piece of information that she had withheld from her, one piece of information she was forbidden to reveal. If it was told it would hold to much weight on Temperance's decision. Ruth hated not being able to tell her daughter. She hated knowing this awful piece of information but she knew she could influence her no longer. _

_Ruth knew that if Temperance chose not to live it would kill her guardian angel. _

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Again, my apologizes for not posting chapters as often as anyone (including myself) would like. I just finished my first teaching placement and now its back to class, so hopefully more time for writing in between. **_

_**A BIG thank you goes out to everyone who has reviewed, the response to this story has been overwhelming and I very much appreciate it! **_

_**_______________________________________________________________________**_

_Temperance Brennan sat with her knees drawn up to her chest watching the scene in the ICU. Ruth knew her daughter was in shock, seeing her mortal body hooked up to so many machines, knowing that she was treading that thin line between life and death. _

_Ruth also knew that her daughter was thinking about her guardian angel, about the man that would become a factor in the huge decision she would have to make. _

_When Booth had saved his partner's life he had not only changed her fate but his own at the same time. His life now hung in the same balance as hers. If she chose to live he would live on, but if death was her choice, his would follow. _

_Ruth knew what the outcome would be should her daughter choose to die: She could see Booth's future, it was one where he would shut himself off from the world after his partner's death. He would blame himself for what happened; the scenario would run through his mind all hours of the day. He would be unable to return to the Jeffersonian or interact with her team. His job became a constant reminder of her life until he quit, choosing to return to active duty in the army. Booth would be shipped off to war and would volunteer for the riskiest of missions as a ranger. One assignment would prove all too dangerous. His men would be ambushed and as the leader he would sacrifice himself to save them all. He would die a hero in the eyes of others, but a failure to himself. _

_Ruth wanted nothing more than to prevent Booth's death but it was no longer her place to make arguments. Her daughter had to make the decision on her own. _

_Brennan didn't know what to think, feel or believe anymore. She thought she had this situation figured out, she thought it was a figment of her imagination or her drug induced mind, she thought she would have woken up by now, but all her theories had no real proof to support them. Then she had seen her body in the ICU and realized that maybe, just maybe this was real. It certainly felt real. There was no science or proof to say this didn't happen when someone was being kept on life support, so really, anything was possible. What she did know was that her death had been imminent before Booth saved her. She had felt her body giving up, she had felt death coming, and there was no other way of explaining that; Which meant she knew just how extensive her injuries were and how long it would take to recover from them, if she even made it through another round of surgery. Yet she had a choice to make, it loomed in front of her. She could die and give into that feeling she had while lying in her destroyed lab. Whatever came after death would surely be better than the life she would have if she chose to live. _

_Yet her mind returned to the minutes before she had come to the white room, to the image of Booth hovering over her, pleading with her to stay with him. _

_Her mind returned to Booth. _

_Booth, her partner, her friend, her constant, her guardian angel. She loved him, she knew that and she wondered what her death may do to him. He would blame himself, she knew that, but he was strong, he would go on without her. She knew it would take him time but he had so much to live for. She knew he had Parker and he would eventually forget about her in years to come. He didn't need her…or did he? _

_He had saved her life, he was her guardian angel. Her mother had said they had a bond that transcended the physical, that their souls spoke to each other. Brennan knew she had never felt the way she felt when she was with Booth with anyone else. If she chose death would the fact that he saved her mean nothing? _

_His voice shook her from her thoughts and she watched as he sat beside her in the ICU. As he took her hand she seemed to hover above her body in the room. When he spoke she could almost feel his emotions. _

"…_I need you to live Bones…" _

_Her tears matched his as she watched him by her bedside. His words rang in her ears, she could sense him willing her to fight, to live. His energy, his emotion, his grief and pain all were tangible to her. When she hovered in that room she was closer to him than she ever thought possible. She reached out to touch him but found herself back in the white room staring at a white wall again. _

_Suddenly the thoughts of her own death seemed selfish. Whatever pain and suffering she would go through he would feel it. She realized just how much of an impact she had on his life and how he impacted hers. She needed him just as much as he needed her. Brennan had never believed in souls before but the connection she felt with Booth was too strong to deny they existed. _

_She turned to her mother, "Our souls don't speak to each other," she began. _

"_They do Temperance, they speak and say more than any words can." _

"_But it goes deeper than that," Brennan continued, "I didn't believe in souls before, but now, they must be real, because I can feel him. I can feel his pain and I can feel him willing me to live with every breath he takes. Our bond, it goes deeper than our souls just speaking, doesn't it? Something bad is going to happen to him if I don't live, isn't it?" _

_Ruth nodded, "You're right. Your bond with Booth goes deeper than just your souls speaking. You can feel Booth because your souls are connected." _

"_If I die something will happen to his soul then…" she trailed off, trying to imagine what may happen._

"_I can't tell you that Temperance; it is your own decision to make. Are you ready?" _

"_Yes."_

_______________________________________________________________________

The doctors were ready. The drug induced coma had been lifted and Dr. Monroe listened to his partner's heart beat and gave the signal to the nurse;

"Turn off the machines," she said.

Booth took a deep breath as the life support machine was slowly turned off. With all his being he prayed she would take a breath on her own, that the machines wouldn't scream as she crashed again. Booth knew that if she didn't breathe it was over, that a part of his own life would end if she left.

"Please Bones," he whispered.

Her heart rate held steady as the whirring of the machine stopped. The steady blips of the rhythm held and he closed his eyes making one last silent plea that the woman he loved would stay with him.

The beeps slowed.

________________________________________________________________________

_Brennan laid on the table she had woken up on in the white room. Her mother kissed her forehead and she could feel her mother's tears mix with her own. _

"_Close your eyes," said Ruth._

_She did as instructed and suddenly she was falling…_

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

_**I am so sorry for the huge gap between chapters. I have just finished my semester and I was very busy in the weeks leading up to my break. This chapter uses the song "Broken" by Lifehouse which has been a huge source of inspiration for this story, plus I think it suits Booth and Brennan. So without any further delay, here is the next chapter.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________**_

The steady rhythm of Brennan's heart beat slowed as Booth's sped up. The beeps grew further apart and a look of concern spread over Dr. Monroe's face.

"Prep the drugs and the crash cart," she told a nurse.

Booth took his partner's hand.

Dr. Monroe shook her head, "She's not responding, I think we need to put her back on the machine."

"Please Bones," Booth whispered.

The nurse handed the doctor a syringe.

"Wait!"

All eyes flew to the nurse standing by the heart monitor, "There's a slight change," she pointed to the screen, "Her pressure, it's coming up!"

Sure enough the beeps increased and became stronger. Dr. Monroe listened to Brennan's chest and then moved to the tube in her throat. When she turned back to the group she looked astonished.

"She's breathing on her own, barely, but she's doing it."

Turning his head skyward Booth closed his eyes and sighed. He felt as if he could breathe for the first time since he had entered the hospital. His eyes were glazed with unshed tears as he silently thanked the heavens for this miracle.

"Alright, let's book an OR and get her prepped for surgery," Dr. Monroe ordered. She turned to Booth, Max and Russ, "She's made it this far but she's not out of the woods yet. We'll do what we can but we won't know the effects of the damage until later. I don't mean to be cynical but you need to be realistic about her odds. Breathing on her own is a miracle but no one can guarantee it will happen again. We'll do our best."

Booth squeezed his partner's hand and looked the doctor in the eye, "She's a fighter, she'll get through this. She's come this far, she'll make it."

Dr. Monroe looked skeptical but didn't argue with the determined FBI agent.

________________________________________________________________________

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as he paced back and forth, occasionally running his hand through his hair nervously. Every few seconds he would turn towards the doors to the operating room and stare intently.

She watched her friend and read the pain in his eyes. His face was unshaven, his hair disheveled, his clothes rumpled. She knew he had hardly slept since Brennan had arrived and wondered how much he had eaten.

"Booth, sweetie, maybe you should sit down, rest for a bit. They could be in there awhile still," Angela said gently.

The FBI agent glanced at her then continued to pace, "I can't…" he mumbled.

"Do you want something to eat? How about a cup of coffee?" Cam tried, worry evident in her voice.

"Not now," came a gruff reply as he rubbed at the scruff on his chin.

Zack had been observing the exchange between Booth and the women. He slowly stood up and took a hesitant step towards the older man.

"Agent Booth, I think Angela and Cam are trying to express their concern over your appearance and mood. They're hypothesizing that you haven't gone home, slept, eaten or even," he paused, "showered, since Dr. Brennan….since she…" even Zack couldn't say the words, "She would want you to take care of yourself, not worry so much about her."

Booth finally stopped pacing and faced the squint. Zack took a step back, unsure of how the agent would react; he could not read his expression. The men held gazes for a few seconds. Then Booth sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"I know she would, I know what she would say. It's not that I don't appreciate what you guys have done for me in the past few days, you've been more than supportive, it's just," his eyes fell to the floor, "I can't relax, I can't go home until I know Bones will be alright."

"We know Booth," Angela said, getting up to place a hand on his shoulder, "We just worry about you as well."

He turned to face her and placed his hand on hers, "Thanks," he whispered.

There were a few moments of silence before anyone spoke again.

"You know that Dr. Brennan is going to be pissed when she finds out how long it will be before they repair the lab," said Hodgin's, a small grin on his face.

"She'll be in there giving the construction workers instructions, telling them to work faster," Cam replied, realizing that Hodgins' was attempting to lighten the mood.

Angela smiled, "No, it will be the fact that she has to take time to recover that will piss Brenn off. She's going to hate being stuck at home with doctor's orders not to work. We're going to have to keep an eye on her Booth."

"Twenty bucks says she sneaks back to work at least three days before she's supposed to," Hodgins chuckled.

"Forty says she couriers work to her at home or even here," Booth finally chimed in, the expression on his face not so grim for once.

"And fifty says that she bites your head off when you try to take the work away from her to rest," Angela said, poking Booth's arm.

"Why would Dr. Brennan bite Agent Booth's head off?" Zack mused aloud, trying to understand the group.

Everyone laughed in that moment, holding onto the hope that Brennan would live to settle the bets.

Time passed, minutes turned into hours and the group waited.

He felt helpless for the millionth time in the past few days, he hated it. He hated the waiting, hated not knowing what was going on, but mostly hated that he could do nothing but wait. He finally sat down, leaning his head against the wall he fell asleep.

As he slept the day he found her ran through his mind. He was searching for her but he couldn't find her. He called her name over and over as it echoed through the ruined building. Finally he found her but she wouldn't stir.

"Bones! Wake up Bones, please, wake up…"

"Booth? Wake up Booth."

Angela's voice brought him back to reality. He slowly opened his eyes to see her sitting next to him.

"What time is it? How long have I been out? Is she alright?"

The artist rubbed his shoulder gently, "Only about half an hour, she's not out of surgery yet. You were talking in your sleep Booth."

He wiped at his eyes, "Was I?"

"Sounded like a nightmare, about…you know. Do you want to talk about it?"

The harsh 'no' sat on his tongue and his features hardened.

"It might help," she tried.

"I keep going over that day in my mind," he relented, "It keeps playing over and over, I can't stop it. I can't stop thinking about the what ifs, about what I could have done. She shouldn't be here Ange, not like this. If I had just picked her up for coffee, she wouldn't be here. If I had just been there when the package came, if I had just found her a little sooner-"

"Stop," she squeezed his arm, "You can torture yourself with the what ifs Booth but it's not going to change what happened and it's not going to change the fact that this wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. There are a million possibilities for how this could have been prevented but it's not worth your time or sanity trying to figure out how you could have changed this. All that matters is that she's alive, and you're the reason she's alive. She has a fighting chance because of you Booth. All that you need to think about now is supporting her through this. Please don't put yourself through hell because this happened, just be there for Brenn now, just focus on being there for her when she needs you the most."

A tear slipped down Angela's cheek as she spoke and she could see Booth's eyes were glazed with his own unshed tears.

"She needs you to be strong too," the artist whispered.

The words washed over Booth as he pulled Angela into a hug. She knew they were what he needed to hear.

Even the strongest of guardians still needs comforting.

________________________________________________________________________

The clock in the room had stopped three hours ago; he had been sitting by her side for two of them. It seemed rather fitting, maybe even ironic that the time had stopped, for he felt as if it had days ago. Maybe without the minutes ticking by she could reclaim the time she had lost, maybe it would hold off what might still come. Despite everything he would wait though, Booth would wait for her, it was the only thing he could do.

He rubbed her hand, "Bones, the doctor said you might not wake up for awhile, but I hope you can still hear me," he began quietly.

"I know you'd want the truth, you wouldn't want anyone to sugar coat it for you. If you were awake you would probably be reading your own chart. So I'll tell you what the doctors said, but you can't give up when you hear it. You still need to fight, please fight Bones."

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart that's still beating_

"You're going to hate what I tell you, you won't be able to work for awhile. Both your legs were broken in numerous places when you were crushed and you cracked your hip. You've got more than four broken ribs, one of which nearly killed you when it punctured your lung, you were lucky to survive," he had to stop to take a breath.

"The internal bleeding was also pretty bad but the doctors fixed you up during the first surgery. What they're still concerned about now is your spine. Bones, there was a lot of swelling around your spine, the doctor thinks it will go down but if it doesn't," his voice cracked, "if it doesn't….but they think it will, they hope it will," he couldn't bare to think of what could happen.

_In the pain there is healing_

_In your name I find meaning_

"But you're alive, you made it through this Bones, you're still here, that's all that matters right now."

_So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on_

_I'm barely holdin' on to you_

Booth was eternally grateful that Brennan had made it through the surgery. The doctors told him that she still had to make it through the night but he knew she would fight. He knew she hadn't come this far to give up now. She never gave up, even when there seemed to be no hope. His mind conjured up images of pulling her out of the dirt after she had been buried alive, and finding her hanging by a meat hook in a warehouse. He shuddered at the thoughts. She had survived those ordeals, she had put her faith in him and the bad times had brought them closer together.

_The broken locks were a warning, you got inside my head_

_I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead._

He couldn't believe how they had loathed each other at the beginning of their partnership, but now, he couldn't imagine life without her. It had taken time and trust but she had let him into her life and he had been drawn into hers. To lose her now would be like losing a part of himself.

_I still see your reflection, inside of my eyes_

_That are looking for purpose, they're still looking for life_

He closed his eyes and tried to remember the last time he had spoken to her. It had been the day before the explosion, they had gone to the diner after closing a case. She had a salad but she kept stealing his fries. He remembered how she had grinned mischievously when he caught her red handed, literally, she had ketchup on her chin. He had reached out and gently wiped it off. When he his fingers brushed her skin he could feel the sparks. Her eyes darkened at his touch and but her grin remained. What he wouldn't give to see that smile on her face again.

_I am here still waiting though I have my doubts_

_I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out_

Booth knew he wasn't a perfect man, a model, a saint, but to take away all her pain and suffering he would give anything. So he bargained again in his prayers, asking for her life and offering his own.

_So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on_

_I'm barely holdin' on to you_

_**To be continued…**_

**I promise there will be more soon. Happy Holidays!**


	6. Chapter 6

Soft beams of sunlight lit the room as Booth awoke; he yawned and rubbed his neck as he turned towards his partner's bed.

"Bones?" he said, while rubbing her hand. She didn't stir, there was no change from the night before. Booth shook his head as he stood up and went in search of the doctor.

Dr. Monroe was headed towards the room as the determined FBI agent met her in the hall.

"She's not awake yet, you said she'd wake up when the anaesthetic wore off. Why isn't she awake?" Booth demanded.

"Agent Booth I said she might wake up when the anaesthetic wore off, I didn't promise you anything. Dr. Brennan has experienced a significant amount of trauma that her body is still in shock from. She needs time to rest. She may not be ready to wake up yet, her body may still need time to recover on its own. All we can do is give her time now, all we can do is wait and see if she ever wakes up."

Booth's eyebrows shot up, "Ever wakes up?" he repeated.

"I asked you to be realistic about your partner's odds. I told you before that it was a miracle she made it through the first surgery and twice the miracle that she made it through the second. She is still not in the clear yet, not until she wakes can we be sure about anything."

Booth searched the doctor's eyes with his own. When he spoke his voice was low, "Do you think she'll come around? Be honest, please."

Dr. Monroe sighed, "I've seen several patients with injuries as extensive as your partner's, but only two of them ever survived. They were fighters Agent Booth, your partner is one too. I can't guarantee you anything but I think there is still hope that she'll wake up. Her brain activity has increased and she's back to breathing on her own. If she continues like this then her chances are good. It will be a long, hard road of recovery for her but with you by her side, I think she'll be just fine."

"Thank you," he replied, shaking the doctor's hand.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Another day and a half passed as Brennan stayed in her slumber. Angela likened her to Sleeping Beauty and Booth wished that a kiss could wake her. Max and Russ kept Booth company, taking turns watching over her. The squints came to talk to their friend, telling her how they hated the temporary lab they were given and giving details about their labs re-construction. The bomb had been linked to the case they had previously been working on, the culprit was apprehended shortly after. Booth left the hospital briefly to visit the culprit. In the interrogation room he turned off the cameras long enough to break the guy's nose and threaten him within an inch of his life. The rest of the agents turned a blind eye, knowing the loyalty Booth had to his partner.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Visiting hours were over; Booth knew this because he could feel the nurse's presence in the doorway.

She cleared her throat but he maintained his position in the chair, feigning sleep.

"Agent Booth, it's time to go," she said gently.

It was the elderly nurse tonight; she usually let him stay as long as possible.

"You can come see her again tomorrow. How you managed to stay the other night is beyond me. Must of been the new girl on duty, did you sweet talk her?"

Booth grinned, he was glad that his back was facing the nurse. He had charmed his way into staying the night; the new girl had been easy to win over.

"Come on now, time to go. I know you want to stay with Dr. Brennan but you know the hospital rules."

He sighed, "Do the rules still apply to an FBI agent?" he relented, turning to face her.

"Sorry, they apply to everyone. You're lucky I let you stay as long as I do. Now say good night and go home and get some rest."

Booth caressed Brennan's cheek and then leaned down, kissing her softly on the forehead, "Good night Bones. I'll be back soon," he whispered.

He grabbed his rumpled coat and turned to leave. As he reached the doorway he froze.

He closed his eyes. It couldn't be. He listened carefully sure that he had imagined it. Then he heard it again, a soft moan coming from behind him.

He bolted back to the bed.

"Bones? Bones?"

She was groaning faintly and then she began to move her head. He grabbed her hand, rubbing it with his own.

"Bones? Wake up, come on, you can do it. Open your eyes Bones, I'm right here, please," he begged her.

Her eyelids began to flutter and he stroked her cheek, "Please," he pleaded.

She blinked and then her blue eyes met his brown ones. Her eyes flickered across his as if trying to focus.

"Bones? Say something, anything."

"Owww..." she moaned faintly.  
Brennan moved her head towards Booth and a look of pain flashed across her face. He glanced towards where the nurse had been standing but she'd already left to find the doctor.

"Bones? What's wrong? Talk to me."

He watched her try to move her arms, only to have them drop weakly at her sides, then he saw her attempt to move her legs, both in casts.

Booth took her hand in his, "Look at me, Bones, try not to move," he told her.

Her grip tightened on his hand as she looked wildly around the room.

"Shh, it's alright," he tried to sooth her. He stroked her cheek again, "Bones, look at me. You're in the hospital."

She took a deep breath, "Booth..." she exhaled, "What...what happened to me?" she whispered.

The joy he had felt when she awoke was replaced by fear. He could see the panic in her eyes. He took the cup of water from the bedside table and offered her the straw. She gladly drank the liquid and cleared her throat.

Her eyes searched his, "Booth, what happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to recall her last memories, "The case, we were working a case...Ivy Jones, she was the victim. We thought her boyfriend did it but it was her friend, umm...Blair or Blake...that's it, Blake Andrews, we were going to go get him. That's the last thing I remember."

The look of fear that was spreading across Booth's face did not go un-noticed by his partner.

"Booth? What's wrong? That was earlier today right? Did something happen on the way to arrest Andrews?"

Her breathing was becoming more rapid and the blips on the heart monitor grew louder. She noticed that too and when she attempted to move another spasm of pain hit her. Brennan gave a weak cry.

"Booth, what happened to me?" It was her turn to plead with him.

Suddenly Dr. Monroe burst through the door way, immediately rushing to Brennan's bedside.

"Dr. Brennan, I need you to calm down, just lie back please."  
That didn't sooth the patient at all. She only grew more agitated, her eyes flying between Booth's and the doctor's.

"When did she wake up?" Dr. Monroe asked Booth.

"Just a few minutes ago."

"What's going on?" Brennan asked as she began to cough.

The nurse placed an oxygen mask over Brennan's face.

"If you calm down we'll tell you, just take a few deep breaths," said Dr. Monroe.

The patient was too weak to argue, she fell limply back against her pillow. The doctor took out her flashlight and had Brennan follow the light with her eyes, then listened to her breathing.

"Rate the pain for me, scale of one to ten please," Dr. Monroe requested.

"Six or seven," she replied over the oxygen mask.

"Alright, we'll give you a little morphine, which will help. I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?"

Brennan nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"What year is it Dr. Brennan?"

"It's 2008."

"Where do you work?"

"At the Jeffersonian, I'm a forensic anthropologist."

"Good. Can you tell me who that man is?" she pointed to Booth.

"My partner, Agent Booth. Now will you tell me what happened? Why am I here?"

"What's the last thing you remember Dr. Brennan?"

"I just told Booth, we were going to arrest a suspect in the case we're working," she answered getting rather annoyed.

"What day was that?"

Brennan let out a frustrated sigh, "It's Tuesday night," she looked between the doctor and Booth as if to have them agree with her. Neither did and Booth appeared upset.

"Booth? It's Tuesday, isn't it? Clearly I was in an accident of some sort so you need to tell me what happened now because this is getting irritating."

Dr. Monroe began to speak but Brennan cut her off, "No. I want Booth to tell me," she glared at him.

Booth sat back down on the chair by the bed, "Bones," he started and then stopped. His eyes fell to his hands.

"What is it? Just tell me," she whispered, taking his hand.

"It's not Tuesday and you weren't in an accident."

She could tell he was struggling with his words, with what he had to tell her, "What day is it Booth? Just tell me the truth."

His voice was low when he spoke, "When we went to go arrest Andrews, that was nearly a week ago Bones. We went to the diner that night and the next morning..."he trailed off at the horror of the memory.

She squeezed his hand, urging him to continue.

He took a deep breath, "The next morning there was an explosion at the Jeffersonian. You were hurt really badly, you've been unconscious ever since," his voice broke and his eyes dropped from hers again.

"An explosion?" she repeated slowly, "Is everyone alright? How did it happen? How bad was it?"

"Everyone is alright. Zack was released from here a few days ago, Angela and Cam were far enough away in their offices that they were okay, and Hodgins was able to shelter himself. It was a bomb Bones, Andrews's brother delivered it. It went off on the stairs of the platform."

Her eyes were wide, "What about the lab?"

He slowly shook his head, "It was destroyed."

She took a short, quick breath and her eyes filled with unshed tears, "But everyone is alright," she asked again.

"Yes, but we were all worried about you."

Brennan turned towards the Dr. Monroe, "How bad are my injuries?"

The doctor seemed to think about how to answer the question but Brennan cut her off.

"Don't lie to me, don't dumb it down or I'll read my chart myself."

Dr. Monroe was taken aback and she gaped.

"She will," Booth added.

"Dr. Brennan, when you arrived you went into emergency surgery where we re-inflated your lung, removed your appendix, part of your liver and one kidney, all lost to you being crushed under debris. You broke both legs, several ribs and damaged your hip. You barely made it through the first surgery and were on life support for several days in a drug induced coma. When you were able to breathe on your own you went through another surgery to repair your legs and hip."

"What are your concerns now?" Brennan asked in a manner of fact tone.

"When you arrived here there was some swelling around your brain which probably caused the memory loss. Only time will tell if you'll gain back the memories of what happened before the explosion. My other concern was the swelling around your spine due to you being crushed."  
"Will that affect my ability to walk?"

"The swelling has been reduced significantly but we won't know anything definitive until the casts come off and you start your rehabilitation."

"So we wait," said Brennan.

"We wait."

Dr. Monroe excused herself and left the room, leaving Booth and Brennan alone in silence. She stared straight ahead, the conversation weighing on her.

"Hey," Booth said quietly, rubbing her hand. Her sad blue eyes fell on his, "You made it this far, you're alive. You will walk again."

A tear rolled down her cheek, he wiped it away, "You don't know that for sure Booth."

"But I believe it."

**To be continued...**

_**Happy New Year Everyone!!!!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Again, sorry for the delays between chapters, sorry! This chapter was hard to write. I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go in for awhile, so hopefully you enjoy the road I've taken. **_

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"Sweetie!" Angela squealed as she entered the room, rushing over to her best friend.

Brennan smiled from the hospital bed as the artist sat next to her. It was the next morning and she had convinced Booth to go home, sleep and shower. He agreed reluctantly but called Angela to go keep his partner company.

"We were all so worried about you! When Booth called and said you woke up, it was the biggest relief, I am so glad you're alright. How are you feeling?"

"I'm sore and in shock still. How about you Ange? Are you alright?"

"I'm doing alright, but you're right about the shock, I still can't believe this happened."

Brennan shook her head, "You can't believe it and I can't remember it."

"You remember nothing?"

"I can't remember anything past the afternoon before everything happened."

Angela rubbed her friend's hand, "Maybe it's better if you don't remember," she replied, shuddering at the memory.

"It was traumatic, wasn't it? Whatever happened to me that day, I shouldn't want to know, should I?" Brennan asked hesitantly.

The artist's eyes were filling with tears, "Sweetie, we thought we were going to lose you. If it wasn't for Booth…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath.

The anthropologist raised her eyebrow, "What do you mean if it wasn't for Booth?"

"He saved your life Brenn; he risked his life for yours. If he hadn't found you, I don't even want to think about what might have happened."

"He saved my life?" she whispered.

"Booth won't talk about what happened. All I remember is him walking out of the Jeffersonian, he was covered in soot and he had you in his arms. The rescue crews wanted his ass for going in there, it wasn't safe, but he did it for you. He really is your knight in shining FBI standard issue armor."

Brennan's eyes were wide, "He didn't tell me that."

"He won't talk about it. All he did after you got here was stay by your side, the nurses had to kick him out when visiting hours were over, he even sweet talked a few into letting him stay a few nights. Brenn, he went through his own personal hell seeing you like this. He barely ate, slept or spoke, he wasn't Booth, I've never seen him like that before. It was like his spirit was broken."

Brennan was silent for a few moments as she took in the information. She couldn't imagine Booth that way, it scared her. He had once told her that he would be upset if she died, but she hadn't.

"I thought he would be strong if something happened to me. I didn't die. When I thought he was dead I was strong, I had to be."

Angela sighed, "Sweetie, Booth isn't like you, he doesn't compartmentalize his life like you do. You thought he was dead, you coped the only way you knew how, throwing yourself into your work. You, you didn't die but that was worse. For him, not being able to help you was killing him. His strength was in willing you to live in the only way he knew how, being here for you."

"He shouldn't blame himself for what happened to me. He did what he could."

"And you know he blamed himself anyways. Don't worry, I talked to him about that. But the point is Brenn, that Booth really cares for you and almost losing you, that really hurt him."

"Should I talk to him about it?"

"You can try, but I think he's just trying to repress those memories now that you're awake."

________________________________________________________________________

After Angela left Brennan spent the next few hours contemplating what she had been told. Part of her wasn't surprised that Booth had risked his life for hers, he had done it before. She had never really gotten over the fact that he had taken a bullet for her. His dedication to keeping her safe still scared her, she had never had anyone in her life who cared for her that much. She knew their feelings went deeper than being partners, she had known that for some time. She was aware of the bond between them; she had just never wanted to acknowledge that she needed someone like him that much. Her need for him, knowing that he would always be there, depending on him, putting all of her trust into him, those were the most terrifying and exhilarating feelings. Her own self defense of putting up walls took over though; she was even more terrified of what might happen should she ever tell him her feelings out loud. And there was the line he had drawn between them and it loomed ominously over what she felt for him, so she had buried her feelings. Occasionally something would test their bond and just for a moment they would know it was there, maybe even acknowledge it, but for their own safety they stayed on their respective sides of the line. Until now:

When Booth faked his death everyone thought she was coping the only way she knew how, by compartmentalizing her life and throwing herself into her work. Yet what they didn't know was how she threw herself into her work to avoid thinking about his death, for if she stopped, even for a second, she knew she would fall apart, and she didn't know if she'd ever be able to pull herself back together. If she denied his death and kept working she could survive, yet inside she was already dead. He had promised he would always be there, yet he had broken that promise to save her life. His faked death betrayed her trust and she lashed out at his funeral to show him just how upset she was. Her anger had eventually subsided, knowing he was alive and that it was his superior's error that she was not informed of his plan helped her regain her trust in him.

Booth's fake death had forced her face that bond they shared. She had tried to repress the feelings with anger and denial, but they were still there, under the surface.

Now with the knowledge that he had saved her life yet again and had held a bedside vigil for her made her reflect again on that bond. If she was to believe Angela's description then Booth obviously had similar feelings for her and somehow she knew the line might never be the same.

________________________________________________________________________

Even in that place somewhere between being asleep and awake she could feel his presence. Without opening her eyes she could sense him in the doorway watching her, almost smell his aftershave as he waited to see if she would wake. She turned her head to face him and gave him a lazy smile.

"Did I wake you?" he asked gently, "I'll go if you want to sleep."

He was perfectly content just watching her sleep, knowing that she was safe and on the road to recovery.

She shook her head lightly, "No, come in," she beckoned to him.

He made his way over to the chair and then offered her the take out cup he was carrying.

"I brought you some herbal tea. Cam said it's good for you."

"Thanks Booth," she said, taking a small sip, "It's nice. You look better," she eyed his freshly shaven face and clean clothes. He also appeared rested and calm, a big change since she had last seen him.

"It's the first time I've slept well in days," he said quietly, "Did Angela come by?" he quickly changed the subject.

Brennan nodded, "We talked for awhile," her eyes searched his and he dropped his brown ones to his hands.

"She said you saved my life Booth."

His eyes stayed on his hands and he stayed silent.

"She said you risked your life for mine and that you hardly left my side the whole time I was unconscious."

Still he made no reaction to her words.

"She said you won't talk about what happened that you withdrew inside of yourself. She said she'd never seen you like that before. I think she was really worried about you."

He was tense, his brows were drawn together and his mouth was a thin line.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

His hands were coiled tightly together and she reached out, placing her own hand on his.

"Booth, look at me."

At her touch and soft words he slowly raised his eyes. Brown eyes bore into blue and she seemed to read the pain, suffering and sorrow in them.

"I can't even begin to thank you for what you did for me, but what I can offer is my empathy, because when I thought you were gone it was like part of my own life had ended. Losing you Booth, it was almost unbearable. Whatever you went through, whatever you felt, I was there too."

"No."

He was shaking his head, staring at her, "No," he repeated, "It was worse."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "I saw you take a bullet for me, I was there, covered in your blood."

"And then I died," he air quoted the word, "you weren't there. You didn't have to sit by my side as you waited to see if I would ever be able to breathe on my own again, or be faced with the decision of whether to end my suffering or leave me in a vegetative state. You didn't have to watch as the doctors took me off life support and then have to bring me back as I crashed each time. You didn't jump every time the phone rang when you were at home, praying that it wasn't the hospital calling to tell you I was gone. You didn't experience the fear of never wanting to leave my side, wondering that if you left, just for a moment, I'd still be there when you got back. You didn't live moment to moment, waiting to see if it might be my last. You didn't experience the emotional hell of feeling helpless, knowing that there was absolutely nothing I could do to bring you back to me. Losing me might have felt unbearable, but watching you ride the line between life and death, not knowing what the outcome might be, that was worse."

A tear slid down his cheek and she squeezed his hands. In an instant she was cradling him to her shoulder as he broke down.

She would not argue with him, she would not ask him again about what he had felt. Instead she comforted him the only way she knew how, by just holding him and letting him know she was there, always.

_**To be continued…**_

_**Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who has stuck with this story. Your reviews and support mean so much to me!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**First of all, THANK YOU so much to everyone who has reviewed and alerted this story! You guys are amazing and it's really touching that you love this story so much! Thanks! Sorry again for the huge delays between chapters, I am finishing my final semester at teachers college and am bogged down with assignments. As for the questions as to whether or not Brennan will regain her memories, just wait and see, all will be answered, eventually (to paraphrase Booth). **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**________________________________________________________________________**_

_A skeleton was laid out on the metal table in front of her. It was the murder victim from the latest case her and Booth were working. She picked up a bone from the arm and looked closely at it. There was an odd bump on the upper part and she called Zack over to her. _

"_Zack, take a closer look at this abnormality…" she began. _

_Yet as the clock struck ten she was cut off by a deafening explosion that rocked the ground beneath her. _

_She screamed. _

Booth rushed into his partner's hospital room at the sound of her cries. He found her flailing in her bed, the best she could in her casts, and her face was contorted in terror.

He was at her side in a moment and attempted to soothe her.

"Bones, wake up Bones," he said as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks, "Open your eyes."

She whimpered in fear again but then her eyes fluttered open. Her blue eyes were rimmed with tears and they locked with his.

"I'm right here Bones, it's alright."

He caressed her cheeks and he felt her hands on his. He waited as she took deep breaths to calm her breathing and erratic heart beat. When she finally seemed calm he sat down, but she didn't let go of his hand.

"What happened?" he asked her.

When he had arrived earlier that morning she was still asleep. He had wandered to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee and wait for her to wake up, but he hadn't expected what he had found.

"I was on the platform, talking to Zack and there was an explosion. Booth, I had this feeling of impending doom and terror. Something was wrong; something was going to go terribly wrong…" she squeezed his hand, "Was that what happened?"

He nodded slowly, "You were on the platform when it…," he couldn't bring himself to say it, "Yes."

"Do you think I'll ever remember any more?"

"I don't know," Booth answered, he knew he didn't want to remember any more than she did.

The dream that morning was not her last. As she slept each night more memories seemed to seep into her mind.

She dreamt she was lying alone in the rubble going in and out of consciousness, watching the smoke filter through the broken ceiling of her lab.

She dreamt she was floating above her body in an ambulance as she watched the paramedics try to revive her.

Her dreams were always accompanied by the impending sense of doom, something she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. She would wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes screaming, sometimes gasping for air. The nightmares began to get so bad that the doctors prescribed sleeping medication so she could rest.

It was on the fourth morning after waking in the night that Sweets stopped by her room.

"Good morning Dr. Brennan," Sweets greeted her from the doorway, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she half lied, "Where's Booth?"

"He went home to shower and grab some clean clothes. I'm here instead, is that okay?" he seemed to joke.

"That's fine."

"How have you been sleeping?" Sweets asked as casually as possible.

She studied him like a bone on her table, "Who told you?"

The young psychologist looked taken aback, "Told me what?"

Brennan rolled her eyes at him, "About my nightmares, someone told you or you wouldn't be asking how I'm sleeping."

"Well I'm concerned about you. Dreams can say a lot about how someone is feeling."

"I don't want to talk about it."

He sighed, "Alright, Booth asked me to talk to you, he's worried," he confessed.

"The dreams I'm having are simply my memories, however unpleasant they are, coming back to me. I'll be fine."

"I think you should be concerned about post-traumatic stress, these dreams could be an early sign. You did almost die Dr. Brennan."

"But I'm alive now. That is the truth, the dreams are simply just something I need to cope with."

"You've been put on sleep medication; don't you think you should at least talk about it? All that might do is help, isn't it worth a try?"

"Psychology is a weak science; you know I don't believe in it."

"Humor me then, or at least do it for Booth. He only wants to help you."

She stared down the younger man. She'd do it for Booth, only Booth, "Fine."

Sweets suppressed a smile at his victory. He cleared his throat and sat down next to Brennan.

"Okay, could you please describe your dreams to me? Take as much time as you need, I know they're probably disturbing."

She briefly told him about the recent nightmares, about the terror she felt in them. She tried to keep it as clinical and compartmentalized as possible but just thinking about them made her uncomfortable.

Sweets was taking notes, nodding his head as she talked. When she finished he looked up from his note pad, "Is Booth ever in them?"

Brennan raised her eyebrow at him, "No."

"So you haven't dreamt of him finding you then?"

"No, should I?"

Sweets' eyes darted back and forth as he thought about this. Finally he said, "I think what you're beginning to experience is post-traumatic stress. As the memories return you're being forced to confront what happened that day. Being that you don't want to verbalize your feelings when you're awake your mind is trying to deal with it on a subconscious level. I think that when you have the next nightmare that you should try to control it, try to remember that Booth found you, see if you can stir up that memory."

"You're saying I need to try and control my dreams, how do I do that?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her, "Did you never do that as a kid? Never try to take charge in your dream if it was going bad? You know, imagine the monster as something funny and it isn't so bad."

She scoffed at him, "No. Besides, I've never had dreams this vivid before, usually I don't remember what I dream about."

"It's entirely possible to control your dreams, or at least try. Before you go to sleep tonight, think about what you want to dream about, about what you want to remember."

From the look on her face Sweets knew she didn't believe what he was saying.

"I'm not entirely sure that will work but I'll try anyways."

Her comment surprised him, "Really?" he said.

"I'll consider it a scientific experiment."

Sweets smiled at her, "Well good luck then."

_______________________________________________________________________

_The air smelled like smoke, the scent filled her nose and she tried to breathe. As she took a breath a stabbing pain tore across her lungs, forcing her to cough and throwing her into an even greater searing pain that ripped throughout her whole body. The smell of smoke now mingled with a distinct smell she knew all to well, blood. _

_Something lay on top of her, something heavy that was not helping her breathing and restricting her movement. Beneath she felt glass and metal. _

_Her muddled mind searched in vain for an explanation of what had happened. Whatever did happen was hazy at best. She remembered being on the platform and a loud noise, after that it was darkness. _

_Her eyes flickered as she tried to open them, but the effort only brought on a new wave of hurt, throbbing away in all parts of body. She was too tired, there was so much pain. The pain was overwhelming and she was cold, so cold. _

_She was dying. _

_And suddenly she remembered the feelings of terror and doom. _

_Her time was up._

_A muffled noise stirred her and it echoed again through the smoke, she knew it was a man calling out. Did she know the man, she couldn't remember. He cried out again and this time she recognized her own name coming from his lips. _

_Booth's lips. _

_As the darkness threatened to take her away again she struggled against it. She fought against the urge to give up, against the hands of death she could almost feel encroaching on her. _

_He was getting closer; she could hear his voice clearly this time. She wanted to move, to make a noise but she couldn't. It was taking every last ounce of her strength to not pass out completely again. _

_She silently begged for him to find her, urged him to come just a little closer, to see her blue lab coat. She silently battled the intense pain that was overtaking her. _

_The darkness urged her back to it, it crushed down upon her. There was no way she could hang on any longer, it was too much. As she tried to take one last ragged breath it happened:  
The crushing darkness subsided and a warm hand was stroking her cheek, calling her name. She opened her eyes._

"_Oh thank God, Bones? Talk to me, please," Booth said to her. _

_She took a shuddered breath and as she exhaled whispered, "Booth…" _

"_I'm here, right here." _

"_You're going to be okay Bones." _

"_It…it hurts so..."she struggled to take a breath to finish her sentence but began to cough._

_The excruciating pain returned and she could taste blood as she coughed. He was calling for help but it was too late. _

"_You've got to hang on Bones, please," he said as he took her hand. _

_She took another ragged breath, it was a struggle, "Booth, I…" she began. _

_The pain was mind numbing, he couldn't save her this time. _

"_No. Don't talk, just stay with me, just breathe." _

"_I…I'm not going to…" she could barely form the words. _

_Tears filled his eyes, "Yes you are. You are going to make it!"_

_She found the strength to squeeze his hand, "Booth, listen to me." _

"_You're not going anywhere." _

_There was so much she wanted to tell him but she couldn't even think. So she told him what her mind screamed was the most important thing._

"_I…I…love you."_

_She knew she should have told him before, she should never have waited, but now it was too late and it was the only thing that mattered. The darkness was overtaking her, she couldn't stay even though she wanted to, and she was just too broken. _

_Temperance Brennan turned towards the darkness ready to give up._

_And then she stopped._

_It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't her time. _

_A voice, very much like her own was telling her to go back, that everything was going to be alright. _

"_Go back Temperance," her mother's voice whispered to her. _

_It was the darkness' turn to give in. The feeling of terror disappeared as she opened her eyes. _

The morning light illuminated his sleeping figure in a soft glow. She wondered how long he had been by her side.

She knew the answer though, he had always been at her side, whenever she needed him and he was never going to leave.

In what she thought was her final hour, he had saved her from the impossible and proved just how strong the bond was between them. Not even death could tear them apart.

She did love him; she knew that, she always had. The thought had always been buried under denial but it was there.

She smiled as she gazed at him.

He stirred then, his brown eyes fluttering open to meet her blue ones.

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" he asked as he yawned.

"Well," she replied.

"No nightmares?"

She shook her head gently, "I dreamt of you."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Me?"

"I was dying Booth, I should have died but you saved me. You were there, you brought me back."

"You remember?"

"Yes."

He took her hand, "I think there must have been divine intervention involved when I found you. The fact that you survived, to me, is a miracle."

The words stirred something in her mind, "Divine intervention…" she repeated.

"You must have a great guardian angel," he smiled at her.

She knew it then, "No, I have you. You're my guardian angel Booth."

Brennan reached out and stroked her partner's cheek; he leaned into her caress, starring at her.

"I meant what I said Booth, I love you," she whispered.

He closed the space between them and captured her lips in a soft kiss. As he pulled away she saw the unshed tears in his eyes.

"I love you too."

They could both feel it, that unspoken bond between them, their souls intertwined to the point where you could not tell one from the other, could not survive without the other. They both understood it in that moment, nothing and everything would change, but come what may, they would face it together.

_**The End…(?)**_

_**Stay tuned…**_


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